33.6 pc of online govt services restored after data centre fire in S. Korea

Seoul, Oct 11 (IANS) More than 33 per cent of the government’s online administrative services affected by a fire at a state data centre last month have been restored, officials here said on Saturday.

As of 6 a.m., 238 out of 709 services hit by the fire at the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) in the central city of Daejeon had been brought back online, marking a restoration rate of 33.6 percent, reports Yonhap news agency.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said the newly restored services include the privacy regulator’s service that checks for personal data leaks and the labor ministry’s management system for fines.

Currently, 30 out of 40 “Grade 1” services, which are considered essential based on their impact and number of users, have been restored.

The fire at the NIRS began when a lithium-ion battery exploded in a server room on Sept. 26 and was completely extinguished the following day. Police are investigating the exact cause of the fire.

Among the restored services are the Public Procurement Service’s next-generation comprehensive shopping mall, the interior ministry’s central permanent records management system, the finance ministry’s National Assembly business support system and the land ministry’s real estate administration intelligence system.

During the weeklong extended Chuseok holiday that began last Friday, a total of 47 systems returned to normal. The fire began when a lithium-ion battery exploded in a server room of the NIRS on Sept. 26 and was completely extinguished the following day.

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday visited a state data centre damaged by a major fire last month to inspect recovery efforts, the presidential office said.

Lee’s visit to the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) in the central city of Daejeon came as the government is ramping up efforts to restore online services as the fire destroyed major data storage systems.

—IANS

na/